Sales rep accused of stealing $350,000 worth of human skin

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Pennsylvania man has been charged with stealing more than $350,000 worth of human skin over a period of several years.

Gary Dudek, 54, of Wallingford, was arrested Monday and charged with theft, receiving stolen property and tampering with records.

Dudek worked until September as a sales representative for a Massachusetts-based regenerative medicine firm and had the authority to order skin grafts for Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, authorities said.

They allege that Dudek ordered more than 200 grafts without authorization that the hospital never received, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. Each cost $1,700.

Philadelphia police say they don’t know what happened to the grafts.

Defense attorney Eugene Tinari tells WCAU-TV that the case should be handled as a civil matter. He calls the criminal charges “draconian.”